Friday the 13th (2018)
by Delorean7
Summary: In 1984, Jason Voorhees slaughtered thirteen innocent people before being killed by twelve-year-old Tommy Jarvis. Thirty-four years have passed since then, and the legend of Jason seems to have faded into obscurity. Until a vacationing family arrives to spend the weekend by Crystal Lake, unaware of the evil their presence will bring back.
1. Prologue

_\- Wednesday, July 18th 1984 -_

A small cloud of smoke drifted out into the rain, blown from the lips of Detective Julie Webb as she stood outside the Crystal Lake Police Department, barely protected from the downpour by the small alcove of the front entrance. She watched the smoke fade into the night, thinking over the disturbing events that had occurred recently. First, the police were called down to the lake due to a phone call from a distressed young woman. Then they arrived to find multiple dead bodies strewn between two different houses. And if things were not bad enough already, they then discovered the young woman and her younger brother embracing on the couch, just inches away from the body of the man who had killed all of those people. The siblings were brought in for questioning, unaware that their mother was one of the victims of that night's massacre. Webb took another drag from her cigarette; it was going to be a long night.

The door behind her opened, and she turned to face Detective Alex Rico. He let out a sigh, running a hand down his face before looking to the cigarette in Webb's hand.

"May I?" he asked, holding out a hand to her. Webb obliged, reaching into her pocket and taking out her pack. She extended it out to Rico, allowing him to take one.

"How's it going in there?" Webb asked, taking out her lighter and holding a flame out to Rico. With his cigarette lit, Rico took a long drag, blowing smoke into the air like a chimney.

"That kid gives me the creeps," he eventually answered. For almost an hour, they had been trying to get information out of the young boy they had found at the crime scene. Tommy Jarvis. Just twelve years old, and supposedly the one who had put down the killer.

"Did he say anything that can help us identify the John Doe from the crime scene?" Webb asked.

"Eh, just more Jason Voorhees bullshit. That's why they sent me," Rico muttered, prompting Webb to speak up.

"Sir, Jason Voorhees is quite real to the good citizens of the Crystal Lake community," she explained, looking out into the storm with a heavy expression. "We've been through a lot here over the last few years."

"Yeah, a lot of copycats," Rico countered, taking a moment to blow out some more smoke. "A lot of deranged psychopaths who want to see a sick ghost story come true." He then dropped his finished cigarette, grinding into the ground with one of his heavy boots.

"With all due respect, Detective Rico, th-"

"With all due respect, Detective Webb," Rico interrupted. "Jason Voorhees drowned in that lake years back in 1957. It was his psychotic mother that started all this, and your "good citizens" who created this boogeyman bullshit." He then pointed a finger at her. "If your department can't identify whoever this deranged kid chopped up once they arrive at the morgue, then instruct them to make up a name to give the public, and then cremate it! This Jason Voorhees shit ends now! Do I make myself clear?!" The door to the police station suddenly flew open, and a squad of police officers quickly make their way out to their cruisers. Webb stopped one of them, taking him by the shoulder to get his attention.

"What's going on?"

"The ambulance crashed. The one carrying that John Doe," he answered, taking Webb's hand off of his shoulder before following his fellow officers to their vehicles. Rico and Webb exchanged a mixed glance; the former's one of concern, and the latter's one of severity. The two detectives then dashed over to Webb's car, just as the first cruiser started pulling away.

* * *

Webb and Rico were able to keep up with the cruiser, pulling over alongside it once it stopped on the main road. They exited the car, the rain pouring down on them as they approached the crime scene. They walked over to another officer, leaning against a cruiser which had already been on the scene.

"What happened here?" Rico asked, his graying hair getting drenched with each passing second.

"W-We were just coming back from the Jarvis place. But then we saw it crashed by the side of the road," he explained, almost finding it difficult to look back at the crashed ambulance.

"Wait here, Webb. I'll check it out," Rico instructed, leaving Webb to comfort the distressed officer. Rico's boots squelched in the mud as he approached the ambulance, now able to get a better look at the damage. The front of the vehicle was wrapped around a tree trunk, the windscreen and side windows now broken. The paramedic driving had been killed upon impact, his bleeding head still resting against the steering wheel.

"Ouch," Rico muttered, soon joined by another officer.

"You think that's bad? You should come see the other medic," he suggested, gesturing for the detective to follow him down a grassy incline and revealing a body covered by a sheet. The officer kneeled down to partially lift the sheet, revealing the state of the second paramedic. Rico's eyes widened at the sight of the almost completely crushed head.

"What do you suppose could've done that?" the officer asked.

"Rico, come look at this," Webb called down the incline, standing by the back of the ambulance. Once he was back up the incline, Rico looked inside, noticing the upturned gurney and the discarded white sheet on the floor. The body was missing. Both detectives backed up from the ambulance, Rico still trying to find a reasonable explanation.

"Sir, it's-" Webb began before being interrupted once again.

"Don't say it, Webb. Don't even think it, alright?" Rico ordered. "The head on that body was slashed to bits. There's no way-"

"Then where did it go, Rico?!" Webb exclaimed, interrupting Rico for once. But to her surprise, her superior did not know what to say.

* * *

A bloody and sliced up hand pressed against a tree, using it to support the lumbering body it was attached to. Jason's heavy breathing echoed through the woods, his boots kicking up mud and wet leaves as he tried desperately to get to safety. Blood dripped from the multiple wounds in his head, somehow non-fatal but causing him a great deal of pain. In his uninjured hand, he held a clear evidence bag, containing a filthy hockey mask with a bloody gash on the upper left side. Despite the throbbing pain in his head, he pressed onward, knowing that his salvation was just a few feet away. He stumbled into a clearing, staring at the decaying shack up ahead. With a few more strides, he managed to make his way inside the shack, bloodied and soaked from the rain. Jason stumbled into the back of the shack, struggling to see through the darkness, but able to make out the image of his mother's head resting on a large rock. Extinguished candles surrounded the head, rain water dripping down from the cracks in the ceiling. Jason's breathing became less rapid, slowing as he weakly slumped to the floor in front of his mother's head. He had never felt this weak before.

He had never felt so vulnerable.

 _"Jason..."_

The injured killer raised his head, looking around to try and find the source of the voice. Jason could not tell if it was due to his injuries, but the voice had a sense of familiarity to it.

 _"It's okay, Jason. Mother's here..."_

Jason stopped looking around, his gaze coming to rest upon the severed head in front of him. He let out a deep whimper, struggling to keep his head raised.

 _"Oh, my poor boy. Look at what that little brat did to you…"_

Jason's carefully lowered his head to the floor, still looking up at his mother as she comforted him.

 _"But it's okay. He can't hurt you now. Just close your eyes and rest…"_

With a final calming breath, Jason's eyes closed, his body motionless as the storm continued to rage outside.


	2. Chapter One

_\- Friday, July 13th 2018 -_

Beams of sunlight flashed through the windows of the silver Range Rover, occasionally blocked out by the trees lining the sides of the road. In the driver's seat, Richard Garrett kept his eyes focused on the road while 'Sweet Caroline' played at a gentle volume over the car's stereo. He glanced over at his wife Jenny in the passenger seat, smiling as she mumbled along with the lyrics. She had originally introduced him to Neil Diamond's addictive strain of music, and he loved the way she would join in sometimes without even realising it.

"Dad. Mom. I love you both," a teen girl spoke up from the back seat, leaning forward and reaching between the two of them to toy with the car stereo. "But if I have to listen to one more Neil Diamond song, I'm going to throw myself out of this car."

"Well, remember to tuck and roll upon landing. I don't want you breaking anything," Richard responded jokingly, allowing his daughter to search for a decent radio station.

"Hilarious, Richard," Jenny commented in a sarcastic tone.

"I'm just being a responsible parent. I don't want to bring her to hospital with a broken leg and have the doctor judging me because I didn't teach her to tuck and roll," Richard continued, only for Lizzie to roll her eyes in response. She kept going through the frequencies, only to receive either static or a faint crackling song which could not be interpreted.

"Ugh. Nothing," she sighed, sitting back in her seat and making her messily dyed blue hair whip back. The dark black of her original hair colour was noticeable at the roots, along with a few stray strands. "We might as well be off the grid."

"This might surprise you, honey. But that's one of the best things about camping. Getting away from the city, not spending all day on your phone, actually talking with your family…" Jenny listed off, only to have Lizzie press the button to lower her window.

"So, tuck and roll. Right, dad?" she asked her father.

"That's my girl," Richard answered, the two of them chuckling softly. Jenny responded by slapping Richard playfully on the arm. He then looked back at his mirrors, his smirk fading as his brow furrowed. He seemed particularly focused on the red pickup truck trailing behind their car, squinting as he tried to get a better look at the passengers. And once his suspicions were confirmed, his eyes widened. "Oh my god."

"Richard, what is it?" Jenny asked, taking note of her husband's concern as he reached for his phone. Without saying a word, Richard went into his contacts and auto-dialled one of the numbers. He then brought the phone to his ear, an impatient frown lingering on his face as he awaited an answer.

* * *

Madison Garrett looked at her phone quizzically, wondering why her father would be calling her now of all times. With a shrug, she answered and put it on speaker. "Hey, Dad. What's up?"

 _"Hey, Madison. Could I speak to Matthew for moment?"_ Richard's voice asked, startling the dark-haired teenager in the passenger seat. His head was partially out of the open window, a trail of smoke drifting from the tip of his questionable cigarette.

"Oh. Hey there, Mister Garrett," Matt answered politely, the cigarette still held out of the window between his index and middle finger.

 _"Hey there, Matthew. You wouldn't happen to be smoking a marijuana cigarette, would you?"_ Matt's eyes widened, yet he did not look worried. He glanced over at Madison, who simply smiled back and waited for his answer.

"A marijuana cigarette? What on Earth would give you that idea?" Matt eventually asked in response, still far too relaxed than a normal person would be in his situation.

 _"Because I'm looking in my rear-view mirror right now, and that's an awful lot of smoke coming out of your window,"_ Richard pointed out. Matt looked to the Range Rover driving just ahead of Madison and himself, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Oh, that? No, Mister Garrett. That's not smoke. You see, that is my breath," Matt answered, resulting in a brief silence from Madison's father.

 _"Your breath."_

"Yes, sir. It is my breath made visible by the cold winter air."

 _"It's summer, Matthew."_

"Well then, Madison must have a pretty powerful A/C," Matt joked, getting a repressed laugh out of Madison. The sound of Jenny and Lizzie holding back their own laughs could be heard over the phone.

 _"Matthew, is that really the answer you want to go with?"_ Richard asked, not appreciating the humour as much his family did.

"I believe it is, sir," Matt answered, still speaking in a calm manner. There was a brief silence, broken by an audible sigh from Richard.

 _"Fine. Madison, we'll be arriving in about ten minutes,"_ he added.

"Got it, Dad. Over and out," Madison answered before hanging up. Matt then let out a sigh of relief.

"That was a close one," he joked before taking a long drag on his joint.

"You don't say. You know, after getting busted by my father, one would assume that you'd stop smoking the pot," Madison noted. Matt smirked, blowing the odd-smelling smoke out of the window.

"That's a fair assumption. Allow me to offer a rebuttal," he requested. "I think it's pretty clear that your father already hates my guts. It might be due to the pot, it might be due to the fact that I'm dating your sister, we may never know. But the fact of the matter is; there is nothing I can do to make your father like me. Thus I have nothing to lose." He finished his insightful speech with yet another drag, blowing smoke out of the window once again.

"Not smoking pot might make him like you a bit more," Madison suggested, getting a perplexed stare from the stoned teen.

"Now you're just sounding crazy."

* * *

"Still think it was a good idea to bring him along on the trip?" Richard asked, putting his phone back on the dashboard.

"Lizzie said she'd only go if Matt came along," Jenny recalled.

"I'm sitting right here, guys," Lizzie reminded the two of them. "And Dad, maybe you could be a little nicer to him? I mean, it's not like you're being subtle about hating him."

"Hate?" Richard looked surprised by this accusation. "When makes you think I hate him?"

"The fact that you've forced him to sit in a separate car for the drive up here?"

"I didn't force him."

"Well, it's not like you left him much of a choice, Richard," Jenny pointed out, referring to the luggage filling up the trunk, as well as the two seats to the right of Lizzie.

"We're going to be out by the lake for the whole weekend. I just wanted to bring the essentials," Richard insisted.

"Oh, please. Your grill?" Lizzie gestured to the red kettle grill taking up one whole seat.

"Forgive me for not wanting to cook burgers and hot dogs over an open fire," Richard retorted, earning him judgemental glances from his wife and youngest daughter. "I don't hate him!" he insisted with a slight chuckle, his attention returning to the road. But as he checked his mirrors again, he got a glimpse of Lizzie in the back seat. She looked out of the car window with a disheartened look on her face, clearly not happy about her father's seating arrangements. With a sigh, Richard looked away from the mirror, the faint sound of 'Love on the Rocks' playing over the stereo.

The Range Rover and pickup truck continued driving for the next ten minutes, just as Richard had predicted. Concrete roads slowly transitioned to dirt, and both vehicles soon emerged into a large clearing. There were two vacation homes on either side of them. The one on the left was the largest, the exterior constructed from blue panelling with a white trim to the doors, porch steps, and window frames. The one on the right seemed more like a cabin, but was equally nice to look at. The exterior looked much more rustic, with a larger front porch as well as a trail leading to what appeared to be a basement area. Richard pulled over, with Madison braking to a halt right behind him. The Garrett family plus Matt exited the vehicles, stretching and looking back and forth between the two houses. "Nice. Not too shabby," Madison commented with hands on her hips. "So, which one are we staying in?"

"Both of them," Richard answered, surprising the younger members of their group, including Jenny.

"What?" she uttered.

"That's awesome!" Lizzie exclaimed. "Can we have a look around?"

"Sure. We'll call you back once we've gotten everything out of the car," Richard allowed. Lizzie and Matt went over to the blue house, while Madison went off by herself to look at the cabin. Richard opened the trunk, taking out some of the bags. But when he looked to Jenny for assistance, he took note of her crossed arms and her questionable expression. "What's that look for?"

"You booked two vacation houses?"

"Well,...yeah," Richard answered.

"How many bedrooms are there?" Jenny asked, looking between the two houses.

"Oh, you know. Just...three in each house." With that answer, Jenny's eyes almost popped out of her head.

"Six bedr-" Jenny had to stop herself mid-sentence to keep from speaking too loudly. "Richard, there are five of us. Three bedrooms would've been enough. What are you planning to do with six bedrooms?"

"Oh, you know..." Richard trailed off as he removed another bag from the trunk, placing it on the ground beside him. "You and I would sleep in one room, Madison would sleep in another, Lizzie would...also sleep in another, and Matthew could...well…"

"Sleep in another? In a different vacation house entirely?" Jenny finished for him, already getting a sense of where this was going. "Richard, did you really book an extra vacation house just to avoid your daughter and her boyfriend sharing a bedroom?" Instead of clapping back with a excuse, Richard just sighed and sat on the edge of the trunk, the Range Rover creaking slightly as he pressed down on the suspensions.

"I just don't want anything bad to happen to her. I mean, she's eighteen years old-"

"Exactly, Richard," Jenny interjected, sitting beside him and putting her arm around his shoulder. "She's eighteen years old. It has to happen at some point. And Matt is a very sweet boy."

"He was smoking weed on the drive up here," Richard pointed out.

"So, who hasn't experimented with drugs at some point in their teens?" Jenny asked.

"I haven't." An awkward silence lingered between the couple after Richard's answer. "You've smoked weed?"

"We're getting off topic, honey," Jenny answered, excusing herself from the topic. "My point is, you keep judging books by their covers. Instead of getting to know Matt, you assume that he's nothing else but a stoner. Do you ever wonder why Madison never introduces her boyfriends to us?"

"Because she's twenty-one and technically no longer our problem?" Richard joked, getting a smirk from his wife.

"Because she knows that once you get one look at them, your opinion of them will be set in stone," Jenny pointed out. "I'm nervous about what could happen too, but I've been prepared for it. You on the other hand think that putting Matt in a separate vacation house will stop anything from ever happening with them." Richard nodded along with his wife's words, silently hating the fact that she was making very valid points.

"But I will say one thing; we got both of these houses for a steal," Richard pointed out, making Jenny laugh. "They were practically giving them away."

"Be that as it may, I have a suggestion. Let the kids stay in the cabin, and we'll take the big house for ourselves." Richard considered this offer, a small part of him still thinking that leaving the kids to their own devices would not be the best idea.

"I don't know, Jen-"

"And if the kids are off doing...whatever it is they might do," Jenny began, not wanting to worry her husband any further. "Then maybe you and I can have some...alone time." Richard looked to his wife, unsure if they had the same idea in mind. But the sly smile on Jenny's face said it all.

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Well, it's certainly been a while since we last had any...alone time together," Richard recalled.

"I know. How's my suggestion sounding now?" Jenny asked, placing a long kiss on Richard's cheek. And when she pulled back, Richard answered in a humorously calm tone.

"I think you are officially the smartest out of both of us." With that, the married couple kissed again, this time on the lips. "Care to help me take out more luggage?"

"Gladly," Jenny answered. They both stood up, each grabbing a bag from the trunk and lifting it out.

"Are we ever going to revisit that moment where you said you smoked weed as a teenager?" Richard asked, making Jenny's smile grow even wider.

"Let it go, Richard," she warned.

* * *

About six miles behind the Garrett family, a lone figure strolled down the road into town, passing a road sign reading 'WELCOME TO CRYSTAL LAKE'. As he made his way through the town, he spotted a familiar vintage-style diner to his right. And with a smile, he made his way over to it. The door opened with the ring of a bell, attracting the attention of the middle-aged waitress. She took a moment to observe the familiar customer as he took a seat in one of the booths.

He looked to be in his early twenties, his messy brown hair shaved at the sides in a punky fashion. His eyes were a pale blue, contrasting with the blue of his denim sherpa jacket. Beneath the jacket was a red plaid shirt, trailing down to a pair of dark jeans which were cuffed above his hiking boots. He had a backpack with him, placed beside him in the booth. Once he was comfortable, the waitress straightened out her glasses and brought a menu over to him.

"Is that you, Luke?" she asked, placing the menu on the table in front of him. The young man looked up at the waitress, smiling once he recognised her face.

"How are things with you, Joey?" he asked in response, looking over the menu.

"Eh, can't complain. What can I get you?"

"For the last few miles, I've had a hankering for one of your sausage omelettes," Luke answered. "Could I get that with a coffee?"

"Sure you can, sweetie," Joey answered, taking the menu back from him and putting the order through to the kitchen. A few minutes later, she returned to Luke's booth with the omelette and a mug of coffee. Luke dug in almost immediately, sighing as he savoured the very first bite. As he ate, Joey provided some conversation.

"So, are you heading up to see your uncle?" she asked.

"Only reason I come up here. That and the food," Luke answered honestly, taking another bite of the omelette.

"And here I was thinking you came up here just to see me," Joey teased. "Do you two have any plans?"

"Nothing big. We mostly just hang out and drink some beers," Luke said with a shrug.

"Sounds like a nice time," Joey commented. "How is it up there?"

"It's pretty peaceful. Hardly anyone comes up to the lake anymore."

"Heh. You might have some company this year," Joey revealed. Luke glanced over at her curiously, swallowing a mouthful of omelette.

"What?"

"A family came through here not that long ago. They rented the two homes down by the lake for the weekend," Joey continued. Luke frowned slightly, turning away from Joey and staring at his plate in thought. "You okay there, Luke? Something wrong?"

"Uh...no, Joey. It's fine," Luke answered.

"You sure, honey?"

"Yeah," Luke assured her. Joey soon left Luke to finish his food, unaware of the worrying thoughts now set in the young man's mind.

* * *

In a small abandoned shack, not that far from Crystal Lake, a body rested on the ground. Beside that body was a rock, with an almost completely skeletal severed head resting on top of it. Words had not been spoken from this head for several years, yet the motionless body on the ground could hear it whispering.

 _"Jason..."_

The body squirmed, coated in a thin layer of dust and leaves which had blown inside and accumulated over the years.

 _"It's time to wake up now, dear..."_

Beneath the dust and leaves, a single eye opened, right before the body began pushing itself upright. Jason let out a long and raspy groan, reaching up and brushing himself off as best as he could. He looked to the skeletal head on the rock, noticing how much it had changed since he last seen it.

 _"Did you sleep well, Jason?"_

The former murderer was calmed by the voice of his mother, letting out a small groan as a response to her question.

 _"Well, I hope so. Because you have work to do. They forgot about us, Jason. They forgot about what they did to us…"_

Jason's calm breathing slowly became heavier, his mottled fingers clenching into fists.

 _"You need to find them, Jason. Make them remember you…"_

Jason looked to ground, noticing something shiny beneath some of the leaves. He brushed them aside, revealing a plastic evidence bag. He tore it open, throwing the plastic aside and staring at the untouched hockey mask.

 _"Make them remember what fear tastes like…"_

Jason placed the mask over his head, his single working eye peeking out through one of the holes. He stood up, allowing more dust to fall around him. With loud footsteps, he strode over to the makeshift shelf in the corner, reaching out and retrieving a single rusty axe. As he made his way outside, Jason stopped briefly, his gaze adjusting to the sunlight. And once he could finally see properly, he headed into the woods, the axe held tightly in both hands.


	3. Chapter Two

The door to the cabin's basement creaked open, and Madison coughed as she inhaled the exposed dust particles. She wafted them away with one hand, and searched for a light switch with the other. Her hand soon settled upon one, flipping it and illuminating the basement with a dirty light bulb. Madison looked around at the neatly stacked furniture, most of it looking quite retro. She assumed that it had all been moved down here during the renovation process. Some of it was still in good condition, including a couch, some chairs, coffee tables, even a few wall hangings. Madison smirked, having an affinity for vintage items. Her pickup truck served as an example of this; a restored 1984 Chevrolet Scottsdale. She continued her exploration of the basement, opening one of the closets out of curiosity. However, once she opened the doors, her eyes widened in shock.

"What the hell?" she muttered before reaching inside.

* * *

"Dibs!" Matt called out as he looked around one of the upstairs bedrooms, dropping his and Lizzie's bags on the floor before flopping down onto the bed. He sighed, getting a chuckle from Lizzie as she entered the room.

"Comfortable?" she asked.

"Very. This might be the weed talking, but this is the most comfortable thing I've ever laid on," Matt stated. Lizzie smirked before flopping down beside him.

"Speaking of weed," Lizzie began, reaching over the flicking the side of Matt's head with her index finger. "That's for letting my dad see you smoking."

"Ow! You have nails!" Matt yelped, reaching up to his temple to see if she had drawn blood.

"You deserve nails," Lizzie said. "I mean, you're not making it easy for my dad to like you."

"Weird. You sound just like your sister," Matt commented playfully, only to earn a frown from his girlfriend in response. "I'm very sorry. Please don't flick me again."

"Matt, can we just be serious for a minute?" Lizzie requested, only for Matt to let out a sigh.

"Liz', I want your father to like me. I really do-"

"Then why do you keep doing stuff like that?" Lizzie asked.

"Well, he already hates me. So I figured...why bother?" Matt asked in response.

"Look, Matt. I can understand why you'd think that, but what you're doing is throwing gasoline onto a fire that's already pretty big. I know my dad might not be the easiest guy to get along with, but something tells me that he's trying to make things work between you and him," Lizzie explained. "I mean, he's letting us stay together in a separate cabin. That's got to mean something, right?"

"I guess," Matt muttered.

"And maybe you could do something nice in return? Like stop smoking pot around him?"

"I guess," Matt repeated with a slight smirk. Lizzie smiled back at him, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Thank you."

"But in my defense, I really didn't expect him to check on me in his mirrors," Matt added jokingly. Lizzie rolled her eyes, still smiling at him.

"So, now that we've got that out of the way, I wanted to talk to you about something," she revealed, regaining Matt's attention.

"What's up?" he asked. Lizzie sat up on the bed, gesturing for Matt to do the same.

"Since we're going to be staying away from my parents during this trip, I thought that maybe...we could...you know." Lizzie gave Matt a look, hoping he would catch on.

"Really? You want to do it right now?" he asked.

"Matt, I've been stuck in a car all day, and I'm all sweaty. Do you really think I want to have sex right this second?" Lizzie asked in response.

"I don't know. Your dirty talk is making it very hard to resist," Matt teased. Lizzie sighed, trying not to smile as he kissed her cheek.

"My sister could still hear us."

"Where is she anyway?" Matt pondered. "I thought she would've followed us up."

"I think I saw her go down to the basement," Lizzie answered. "Could you go down and see if she's okay?"

"Why can't you go?"

"Because I want to get a shower. Don't you want me smelling all nice and clean before we engage in any bedroom shenanigans?" Lizzie asked, pouting playfully.

"Oooh. Shenanigans? Your dirty talk is on point today," Matt commented. The two of them chuckled as they stood up from the bed. "I'll go down and check on her. See you later." He then exited the room, leaving Lizzie to open her bag and fetch her toiletries.

* * *

As Matt followed the trail to the basement, he noticed that the door was ajar. A single light bulb illuminated the dark and dusty room. "Madison?" Matt called out, heading inside and looking around. Aside from the door being left open, there was no sign of his girlfriend's sister being down here. Matt walked past most of the old furniture, only stopping when he noticed that one of the closets was open slightly. With a smirk, he carefully creeped up to the closet, being careful not to make a noise. And after slowly taking hold of the closet doors, he flung them open dramatically. "Ha!" he exclaimed, only to find a pile of old toys inside it. Matt looked over the abandoned possessions, letting his guard down long enough for a greenish-brown head to appear over his shoulder. Matt leaped away in fright as the head let out a roar, its mouth opening to reveal two rows of teeth, each baring two sharp fangs. But as he looked back at the monster, he found himself looking at a very amused Madison. She laughed at Matt as he laid on the floor like a ragdoll, covering her mouth to try and calm herself.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd be that scared," she sighed, holding out a hand to help him stand up.

"Christ. You almost scared the apple juice out of me," Matt said. He looked at the monster head puppet on Madison's other hand, noticing how its neck led to a mesh tube where someone could stick their arm inside. "Where did you even get that?"

"It was in the closet. I heard someone coming, so I thought I'd put it on and mess with them," Madison answered, opening and closing the monster's mouth to flex her fingers. Matt frowned at her.

"Are you're telling me you forced this poor and innocent monster out of the closet?" he asked in a fake tone of sterness. "It's his choice to make, and you just outed the poor fella."

"Oh my gosh. You're right. I don't know what I was thinking," Madison gasped, playing along with Matt's joke. "What if...I'm the real monster?" she proposed, taking off the puppet and allowing Matt to hold it.

"To him, aren't we all monsters?" he countered. The skit ended with the two of them laughing to themselves, and Matt placed the puppet back in the closet. "Where do you suppose it came from?"

"It must've belonged to the last owner," Madison assumed, heading back towards the basement door. Matt soon followed behind her.

"Jim Henson?" he guessed.

"Probably." The two of them left the basement, turning off the light and closing the door behind them.

* * *

Jenny grunted as she pulled the kettle grill over to the area in front of the cabin, wiping sweat from her brow once it was in placed near the small fire pit. She turned around at the sound of footsteps, only to see Richard heading across the path towards her. He had donned a brown coat, and was carrying a Winchester Model 70 rifle over one shoulder. "What the heck is that?" Jenny asked with a look of worry.

"Well, all our bags are unloaded, and we've got a while until we get dinner started. I figured I'd take out the old boomstick for some shooting practice," Richard answered, patting the stock of the rifle.

"Please don't tell me you're hunting dinner. We have perfectly good meat in the cooler," Jenny pointed out.

"Of course not," Richard assured her. "But since I'm going out there, do you want me to pick anything up?"

"We're running low on squirrel," Jenny responded sarcastically.

"What if they don't have squirrel?"

"Just go before I take that gun away," Jenny insisted with a chuckle.

"Yes, ma'am," Richard answered. He was about to walk towards the woods before he noticed Madison and Matt coming back up from the basement. "Find anything incriminating down there?"

"Just a Dark Crystal reject," Madison quipped. Though perplexed by the answer, Richard shrugged it off.

"I was about to go shoot some pine cones. Want to tag along?" he offered. Madison stopped, glancing at the rifle curiously.

"These pine cones. Did they cross us?" she asked.

"They disrespected our whole family," Richard answered sternly.

"Well then, we need to show them who's boss." Madison walked over to her father, ready to follow him into the woods. "You coming, Matt?"

"Oh, I'd love to. But Lizzie and I were…" Matt trailed off, somehow maintaining his composure despite the predicament he had put himself in.

"Were what?" Richard asked with a slight frown. It took a few seconds, but Matt eventually answered.

"You know what? It's not that important. It can wait until later," he said.

"I'm sure it can," Richard agreed with a stern tone. He began striding towards the woods, leaving Madison and Matt to follow behind him. Matt gained a look of absolute fear, while Madison just smiled at his misery.

"It can wait until later? Did you really just say that?" she asked in disbelief.

"Do you really think he knew?" Matt whispered back to her.

"He has a gun, and he's taking you deep into the woods. What do you think?" Madison teased, putting a comforting hand on Matt's shoulder as they followed behind Richard.

The trio walked for a short while, passing by numerous trees and taking the time to admire their surroundings. It was only until they came across a fallen tree that Richard brought them to a halt. "Ah. This will do nicely," he murmured. Richard then approached the log, reaching down and picking up some stray pine cones along the way. He carefully placed them along the fallen tree, leaving a decent amount of space between each one. Once he had procured six, he walked back over to Madison and Matt.

"Do you do this a lot, Mister Garrett?" Matt asked out of concern.

"Oh, of course," Richard answered, retrieving a box of rounds from his coat pocket and passing them to Madison. She opened the box for him, letting him take a total of five rounds. "When I was a kid, my father used to take me out shooting all the time. I went on to take Madison out shooting, and even Lizzie on one occasion." With the firearm loaded, Richard raised it up and took aim at one of the targets. A deafening crack echoed around the woods as he fired, hitting a pine cone and blowing it apart. He then cocked the weapon and repeated the action, decimating a second pine cone. "See? Want to give it a go?" Richard offered.

"Uh...sure. Why not?" Matt answered warily, taking the rifle from Richard. He then remained limp as Richard helped him into the proper position for firing a rifle. "Make sure you keep hold of the grip, and exhale before you fire." Matt nodded as he was given this advice, looking down the sight of the rifle and taking aim at the third pine cone. With a nervous squeeze of the trigger, another loud crack filled the woods. Matt grunted as the butt of the rifle recoiled into him, a burst of sawdust launching into the air as the bullet lodged itself in the fallen tree.

"Well, that hurt," he groaned.

"Not bad. You've just got to keep the butt steady against your shoulder," Richard instructed, cocking the rifle and helping Matt into position again. "And keep your neck relaxed. You don't want to strain yourself."

"Okay." Matt nodded, aiming at the same pine cone. With a bit confidence, he pulled the trigger once again. And this time, the pine cone exploded. However, as the loud crack faded away, a pained shout could be heard just ahead of the fallen tree. Richard, Madison, and Matt all looked shocked as the shout hit their ears.

"Oh god," Richard uttered, taking the rifle from Matt and running in the direction of the shout. Madison and Matt were quick to follow. A few feet away, a figure could be seen getting up from the ground, grunting as he brought a hand to his left upper arm. "Jesus! Are you alright?!"

"I'm so sorry! I-I didn't see you!" Matt stammered, his hands shaking out of shock.

"It's okay. Really," the figure insisted, taking off his backpack and slipping his arm out of his denim jacket to inspect the injury. "See? It's just a graze."

"Just a graze? How are you so calm right now? You just got shot!" Madison exclaimed.

"What's your name, son?" Richard asked.

"Luke. Luke Webber," the figure introduced, wincing as he flexed his arm.

"Okay, Luke. Come with us. We've got a vacation house nearby. We can patch you up there," Richard offered.

"Oh, you really don't have to do that," Luke replied.

"No, I insist. Madison, take his bag," Richard instructed. Madison picked the backpack up and swung it over her shoulder, following the rest of the group as they began their walk back towards the vacation houses. But as they walked away, they failed to spot the second figure lurking behind one of the trees. With his only working eye, he watched the group until they were at a safe distance. And then proceeded after them on foot.


	4. Chapter Three

Jenny entered the cabin through the open door, carrying a large tupperware container and placing it on the kitchen counter alongside a few other smaller ones. Each one was filled with food best suited for a barbecue; such as coleslaw and potato salad. The sound of bare feet on hardwood flooring could be heard as Lizzie walked down the stairs, fresh out of the shower and drying her hair with a small towel. She had put on a white tank-top and sweatpants, deciding to get comfortable after the long car journey. As she joined her mother in the kitchen, she got a good look at the amount of food that had been brought along. "Isn't that a bit too much food?"

"Not for your sister. I swear she has the metabolism of a hummingbird," Jenny chuckled before a voice from outside caught her attention.

"Jenny! Where's the first-aid kit?!" Richard called out. Both Jenny and Lizzie gained worried expressions as they ran out of the cabin, just in time to see Richard and Matt help a young man up the porch steps. Madison soon caught up to them, carrying a backpack over her shoulder.

"What happened?" Jenny asked as the newcomer was brought inside the cabin. "Who is this?"

"Where's the first-aid kit?!" Richard repeated as he helped Luke over to the couch.

"I-In my bag! What happened to his arm?!" Jenny stammered before Richard ran back out of the cabin to find her bag.

"It was an accident. Dad was showing Matt how to use the rifle," Madison began to explain, only for Jenny to jump to conclusions.

"Matthew, did you shoot him?!"

"Mom!" Lizzie interjected, shocked that her own mother could suggest such a thing.

"I-I didn't see him! The trees were in the way!" Matt insisted, almost on the verge of tears. Luke just remained silent as the family talked, looking to the door as Richard returned with the first-aid kit. After he had put it on the couch, Luke opened it and began looking through what was available.

"Richard, how could you let Matthew use that gun?!" Jenny asked. At the sound of this, Richard looked away from the kit and stood up to address his wife.

"How could I-...how was I supposed to know that he'd shoot someone?!"

"I didn't mean to!" Matt insisted.

"We know, Matt. It's okay," Madison assured him. The Garrett family plus Matt gradually gathered in a circle as the argument escalated.

"No, it's not okay! Richard, Matthew could have killed someone!" Jenny pointed out.

"Mom, stop it!" Lizzie interjected yet again.

"I showed him how to use it properly!" Richard pointed out.

"He shouldn't have been using it at all!" Jenny retorted.

"Um...excuse me?"

"Mom, calm down!" Madison insisted.

"How am I supposed to calm down about something like this?!"

"You had no problem when I taught Madison and Lizzie how to shoot!" Richard reminded his wife.

"Yeah! Because they never got anyone hurt!" Jenny said.

"Everyone? My arm-"

"Stop it! You're upsetting Matt!" Lizzie pleaded.

"Come on! This isn't fair on him! It could've happened to any of us!" Madison reminded her parents.

"And yet it had to happen with Matthew!" Richard stated.

"Will you stop talking about me like I'm not even here?!" Matthew spoke up.

"HEY!" a voice called out, directing the group's attention back to the couch. They watched as Luke finished wrapping some dressing around his arm, covering the graze he had sustained. A tube of antibiotic cream rested on his lap, his fingertips still stained from having applied it moments earlier. "It's okay. See? As long as I check it every now again, it should be fine," he explained. An uncomfortable silence lingered as Luke packed away the contents of the first-aid kit, almost as if the argument had never even occurred.

"Are...are you sure you're okay?" Jenny asked, looking rather surprised.

"Yeah. I'm sorry for causing any trouble. It really was my fault," Luke explained. "I heard the gunshots going off, and people don't usually come up here. So I figured I'd take a look and see if everything was okay."

"Well,...we are now," Richard sighed, now having calmed down. "Uh...introductions. Luke, this my wife Jenny. Jenny, this...is Luke," he then introduced, trying to somewhat reduce the awkwardness. With a deep breath, Jenny extended her hand to Luke, managing a polite smile.

"Hello. I'm so sorry about all of this. It was just...quite a shock," she apologised.

"Don't worry. I'd be more surprised if you hadn't reacted like that," Luke commented, both he and Jenny chuckling slightly.

"Speaking of reacting, how were you so calm during...all of this?" Madison asked, gesturing to Luke's patched up arm.

"My uncle takes me out shooting. He told me what to do in case this happened," Luke explained. "He's got a place up near here. That's where I was headed."

"Oh. Is he expecting you soon?" Jenny asked.

"Uh...I told him I might not make until nightfall. Why?" Luke asked.

"Well, how about you stay for some dinner?"

"Jenny?" Richard spoke up. "Are you sure-"

"Richard, it's the very least we can do considering…" Jenny trailed off, not needing to explain the rest of her sentence. Without any way to argue against her, Richard remained silent.

"Oh, I couldn't-" Luke began.

"I insist. Besides, we have enough food to sink a ship," Jenny insisted.

"She's not wrong. It's actually kind of concerning," Lizzie chimed in. Luke smirked at the sound of this, only for his smirk to fade as he considered the possibility of something dangerous being out in the woods.

"Are you okay, honey?" Jenny asked, snapping Luke out of his thoughts.

"Yeah. Yeah, I-I wouldn't mind sticking around for a little while. I mean, if you don't mind," he said.

* * *

While the Garrett family became acquainted with the new arrival, they remained blissfully unaware of the masked figure watching the two vacation houses. He looked over the two vehicles parked on the dirt road, his heavy breathing muffled behind his mask. And while remaining obscured among the trees, he moved away to another vantage point, the leaves beneath him crackling and rustling with each heavy step.

* * *

As night fell across Crystal Lake, an orange glow illuminated the front area of the cabin. A small campfire had been set up, providing excellent mood lighting for the Garrett family plus Matt and Luke as they sat and conversed. Adjacent to the fire was Richard's grill, smoke drifting from it as he expertly cooked each burger and hot dog to perfection; a habit which was playfully mocked by his wife and children. And as the night went on, the group had transitioned to an interesting part of the evening: telling horror stories around the campfire. The flickering light of the fire illuminated Matt's face as he spoke, captivating the rest of the group as his tale of terror came to an end. "But when the doctor looked back over the balcony, he was gone. He remained silent even as the babysitter cried, because he knew that the Shape was still out there, ready to slay his next victim. The End," he finished in a Serling-esque manner. He looked around the campfire, unaware of the reception his story would truly receive.

"Eh, I give if a six out of ten," Madison commented, surprising the young man.

"Same here," Lizzie added.

"I give it a five. And even then, that's just me being generous," Richard then admitted before taking a sip from his beer, his arm draped over his wife's shoulder. Matt looked around the group with a feigned expression of hurt.

"What was wrong with it?" he asked.

"Nothing at all!" Jenny insisted in a supportive manner, but even she could not keep the charade going for more than a few seconds. "Although, a lot of it did seem a little...far-fetched."

"I mean, come on. This "Shape" apparently got shot...six times, right? You don't just get up and walk away from that," Madison pointed out.

"First, I said he got shot FIVE times. And second, it's based on true events," Matt then revealed, prompting a series of groans and laughs from around the campfire. "What? What did I say?"

"I think you just dug your own grave, son," Richard said with a smirk.

"Whenever someone says a horror story is 'Based on true events,' that's secretly code for 'This story is complete BS,'" Madison revealed, earning a stern frown from her mother for even speaking the initials of curse words.

"It is!" Matt insisted, his voice raising to a bemused pitch. "One of my squadmates in Haddonfield said so!" Richard then raised his hand with a curious expression.

"I'm sorry. Your squadmates?"

"Yeah!" Matt nodded.

"As in?"

"As in my gamer buds," Matt clarified, now feeling embarrassed as the group laughed once again.

"I believe him." The family looked to Luke as he spoke up, having been mostly quiet for a majority of the evening. "My uncle told me the same story."

"See?" Matt happily chimed in while gesturing to Luke. "Thank you, kind and merciful stranger."

"You might want to ease up on the ass-kissing, Matt," Madison playfully warned.

"I almost killed the guy. It's not like I have any other choice," Matt responded in a similar tone, managing to get a laugh out of Luke.

"It's alright, man. I swear. Water under the bridge," he insisted for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Matt smiled with relief, yet Richard was still on edge about the situation.

"Did your uncle know any other stories?" Lizzie asked, having noticed her father's nervous expression.

"Well,...there is one that I know pretty well," Luke answered, briefly glancing out at the surrounding woods.

"Is this one also 'Based on true events'?" Jenny asked curiously.

"It is actually," Luke confirmed with a nod. He then took a deep breath; the group could not tell whether it was for dramatic effect or otherwise. "Have any of your heard of Camp Crystal Lake?" The question resulted in a curious silence. "A long time ago, a kid named Jason Voorhees drowned there. His mother Pamela worked there as the camp cook, and she blamed the counsellors for not keeping an eye on him while he was out in the water. Driven insane by the loss of her son, she went on to kill other counsellors, only to be killed in self-defense by her final victim." Luke glanced around at the group, their current reactions a mix of interest and uncertainty. "However, Jason was still alive. And he knew what had happened to his mother. Wanting to get revenge, he went on to kill more than thirty people. Including the woman who used to live here," he then revealed, turning and looking to the rented cabin.

"Seriously?" Madison asked, now genuinely intrigued by the tale.

"Seriously," Luke answered. "Her name was Tracy Jarvis. And in 1984, Jason killed her along with a group of kids staying in that house right there," he added, gesturing to the separate vacation house. "The only survivors were her children Trish and Tommy. When Jason tried to attack his older sister, Tommy took a machete and slashed him right in the head, over and over again until he finally stopped moving. But even then, after Jason's body was taken away by the police, the ambulance carrying it mysteriously crashed. And his body was never found." A brief silence lingered as Luke finished his story, the sounds of nearby insects and rustling trees filling the void until he received his feedback.

"That's another six from me," Madison commented.

"Eh, I'll give it a four," Lizzie added.

"Don't get me wrong; it was a very captivating and well thought out story, but there are definitely a few plot holes," Matt pointed out. "Like, if this kid Jason did survive drowning in the lake, why wouldn't he just come back and let his mother know he's alive instead of leaving her to go crazy and kill a bunch of camp counsellors?"

"Plus, how exactly was Jason meant to survive all those slashes to the head? At least Matt's story didn't explicitly mention headshots," Madison added.

"Exactly," Matt agreed, gesturing to Madison while glancing at Luke. The latter smirked, looking out into the nearby woods as he spoke.

"Yeah. I guess it is kind of silly," he mumbled.

"Well, with those unsettling stories fresh in my memory, I'm going to hit the hay," Jenny interjected, removing her husband's arm from her shoulder and getting up off the ground.

"Are you sure? We still have a lot left over," Richard said, only for his wife to lean down and whisper in his ear.

"I need some time to freshen up, honey," she whispered, winking at her husband before making her way over to the blue vacation house. Richard smiled as he watched her go, his trance broken by Lizzie's voice.

"I think I'll go to bed too," she said, also getting up off the ground.

"Me too," Matt added, standing up and pausing as he noticed Richard's frown. "Oh. No, I...I didn't mean-"

"Just go, Matthew," Richard insisted, making a dismissing gesture with the hand holding his beer. It was quite clear that both he and Matt wanted this conversation to end as soon as possible.

"Yes, sir," Matt obeyed with an awkward bow, both he and Lizzie quickly shuffling over to the cabin.

"You sure you're not too freaked out?" Lizzie asked once out of earshot, noticing how pale her boyfriend's face had become.

"Let's just say I might need a Red Bull before any bedroom shenanigans," Matt replied. Lizzie smirked, reaching around her boyfriend's waist and pulling him to her side as they entered the cabin.

* * *

Jenny closed the bathroom door behind her, scrolling through her phone's playlist as she walked over to the sink. Upon selecting one of the songs, she placed her phone on the sink counter and then proceeded to get undressed. Patsy Cline's 'I Fall to Pieces' began playing at a gentle volume as her shirt fell to the tiled floor, followed by her jeans, and then her undergarments. She then reached behind the shower curtain and turned the metal handle, the sudden hiss of running water almost drowning out her choice of music. After walking back over to the sink, she turned up the volume on her phone, catching the sight of her naked reflection in the mirror. She looked over herself with an uneasy frown; it really had been a while since her and Richard were last intimate. Plus having two children certainly made it more difficult to look presentable. With a soft sigh, Jenny turned away from the mirror and pulled open the shower curtain with a flourish.

Finding the tub empty, she climbed in and then pulled the curtain closed. Jenny closed her eyes as the water washed over her, her hands reaching up and running through her wet hair. But as she tilted her head to let the water fall away, she was caught off guard by the sound of the bathroom door creaking open. Jenny paused, moving her head out from beneath the water to hear better. "Hello?" she called out. The only response she heard was the sound of the bathroom door being locked. While concerned at first, a coy smile soon spread across her lips. "Richard?" she called out again, noticing a silhouette spreading over the shower curtain. Back in the day, Richard would have been quite adventurous when it came to fooling around, but not nowadays. Jenny fully backed out of the stream of water, the silhouette's head seeming to follow her movement. However, her coy smile immediately dropped as she heard no audible response from the mysterious figure. Jenny carefully reached for the curtain, her fingers barely grazing the damp material before a pair of large arms reached around and pull her forwards. Jenny's face pressed into the material, the dampness causing it to cling to her skin and become air-tight. Jenny tried to scream for help, desperately attempting to pry both the material and the attacker's arms from her body. She eventually slipped in the tub, but the figure held her up, her bare feet sliding across the damp basin as they struggled to find a source of friction. Jenny's movements gradually slowed, her teary eyes rolling back in her head as she lost her grip on the attacker. Her arms slumped to her sides, and her body went limp. Jason then dropped Jenny's body back into the bath with a heavy thud, towering over her and breathing heavily. His gaze briefly shifted over to the phone by the sink, Patsy Cline's soft voice continuing to play over the sound of rushing water.

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be okay walking this late at night?" Richard asked, standing up beside the campfire as Luke finished pulling on his backpack.

"Yeah, absolutely. As long as I stick to the road, I should be at my uncle's place in no time," Luke replied, holding a flashlight in one hand and straightening out his straps with the other. "Tell Jenny I said thanks again for the dinner and...just everything really," he acknowledged with a smile. Madison emerged from the cabin, carrying one of the small tupperware containers over to Luke.

"Hold on there. We need to give you something for the road. There's some hot dogs in here, a couple of burgers, and some beans," she said.

"Oh. Are you sure you don't mind?" Luke asked, turning his backpack towards Madison and letting her unzip one of the compartments.

"Look, we have to lug all these leftovers back home in a couple of days. I'm just trying to lighten the load," Madison explained, slipping the container into the backpack and then zipping it back up.

"Well, I'm always happy to help," Luke chuckled, straightening out his backpack straps again as he turned back to face Madison and Richard. "And if you guys need any help at all, just follow the road to the left. You can't miss us."

"Much appreciated," Richard replied with a nod. He and Luke then shook hands before the latter headed towards the road.

"Have a good night!" Madison called after him. Luke waved his hand back in response, the father and daughter smiling as they sat back down next to the campfire. However, both were unaware of the masked figure standing at the back door of the vacation house, watching as Luke disappeared behind the trees. With his axe held tightly in his grasp, Jason walked out of the cabin, shrouded by the darkness as he pursued his next victim.


End file.
